Canned Applesauce {Picture Tutorial}

I canned 26 quarts of applesauce last week.  That should last us a year, provided we use one quart every two weeks.  I felt so pioneer-ish, let me tell you.  My husband is the real hero of this story, though, because he kept the girls occupied and happy AND he cleaned the rest of the house--all after getting up at 4:45 a.m. and working 8 hours!

 I used about 1-1/2 bushels of apples.

 Wash.

Quarter and core.

Boil in batches until soft, about 15-20 minutes.  If you boil too little, you get a gritty texture to your applesauce.  If you boil too long, your apples start completely falling apart.

Run through a strainer to separate the pulp from the seeds and skin.  I saved all the discards and ran them through the strainer again at the end.  That produced an extra 2 quarts of applesauce. 

Ben got a kick out of me standing on the chair, but this counter was the only suitable edge for the strainer, so a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Wash your canning jars, lids, and rings.  I sterilized the jars and rings by running them through the dishwasher.  The lids I set in a small saucepan with an inch or two of water.  I let them sit on the stove's back burner just below a simmer.

To kill off any bacteria or other such nasties, bring the applesauce to a boil briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop and add sugar and/or cinnamon if you like.  To a couple of batches, I added a cup of applesauce to a quart of frozen strawberries, ran them through the blender, and added it back into the applesauce for a homemade version of strawberry applesauce.

Ladle the hot applesauce into hot jars, leaving about 1/2" of headspace for expansion.  Wipe clean the rim of the jar with a damp rag before adding hot lid and ring. 

 Place filled cans into the already-boiling water bath (those wire baskets are a necessity!) The jars should be completely submerged.  Boil for twenty minutes.   Remove and let sit until cooled. Check that lids are sealed.

I made apple pie filling with the other 1/2 bushel.  I was wondering if anyone else out there had other ideas for apples.  I have never tried apple butter, so I'd love a tried-and-true recipe if you have one!